Kazuo Yairi passed away earlier this month. I got the information from the Alvarez website. Though from a different culture, I think he was cut from the same piece of wood as JCL, Bob Taylor, and others who have inovated , improved, and expanded on the guitars that we play and love. Like the others he took the handbuilt instruments approach and built it into the computerized factory approach that is the norm for the big guitar makers today. I respect him for the high quality and great sounding Yairi and Alvarez guitar he has offered us through the years.